1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to special receptacles or packages for body treatment articles, and more particularly to a package displaying a plurality of individually prepackaged adhesive bandages that may individually be removed and unwrapped with a one-hand single motion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Bandages have likely been used since before recorded history, and have also undoubtedly been fashioned from many different materials. However, since the popular identification of micro-organisms by the likes of Louis Pasteur, there has been an ever-increasing awareness, albeit gradually, in the medical field of the importance of sterility in the care and treatment of wounds. For a time in relatively recent history, more and better antibiotics and cleansers were developed that facilitated the creation of a sterile environment, even without a wound being perfectly clean or a bandage being sterile. However, particularly recently there have been several bacteria that have developed resistance to most or even all of the known antibiotic treatments. Consequently, health care professionals today cannot rely solely on antibiotics. With every passing day, the importance of a sterile treatment environment, sterile wound cleansing, and sterile bandages increases.
One benefit of this recognition has been the improved packaging of bandages, so that most modern bandages are produced in a sterile environment and are individually wrapped to protect and preserve each bandage. Very commonly, individually wrapped sterile bandages may also be provided with adhesive tape, and are popularly sold, for example, under the Band-Aids™ brand. These individually wrapped sterile bandages are produced and then further packaged in a paperboard box or a metal container, both which will typically use a hinged closure flap to fully enclose and protect the individually wrapped sterile bandages during storage.
The retrieval of bandages from storage is always fraught with challenges. When the need for a bandage arises, first the container of bandages must be located and retrieved from storage and opened. There are many different styles of bandages, and the contents of a particular paperboard or metal container is generally not clear or certain until the container is opened. Much inconvenience arises when the container is opened, only for the person to discover that the supply of bandages needed to treat a particular wound have already been exhausted and not restocked. Furthermore, the opening of the container in many cases requires or is greatly facilitated by the use of two hands.
In the event of good fortune, where a properly sized individually wrapped sterile bandage is located, then the subsequent application and use of the individual bandage presents further challenge. First, the bandage must be separated from the individual wrapper. Many bandages today have a bifurcated end on the bandage wrapper, where the top and bottom sheets that together form the bandage wrapper are separated. A person will grasp each sheet separately, with one sheet in each hand, and then pull the two sheets apart to reveal the bandage enclosed therein. Once again, this requires or is greatly facilitated by the use of two hands.
Since there are several steps that require the use of two hands, a person who is wounded may often times be unable to access an individual bandage. Likewise, in a health care facility, a health-care provider such as a doctor or nurse may have only one hand available, and so again at those times will be unable to access an individual bandage. Instead, the health care provider will have to request and wait for another provider to assist.
Others have developed a variety of bandage dispensers to try to improve upon the existing paperboard box or metal containers. Exemplary patents, the teachings and contents which are incorporated herein by reference, include U.S. Pat. No. 2,133,609 by Eustis, entitled “Surgical dressing”; U.S. Pat. No. 2,965,223 by Schladermundt et al, entitled “Dispenser pack of individual adhesive bandages”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,689 by Frank, entitled “Dispensing device for adhesive-backed articles”; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,190 by Simpson, entitled “Bandage package and method of dispensing”. While these patents offer significant improvement over the prior art containers, and offer high density packaging of bandages, none offer a preferred combination of one-handed manual access and opening of individual wrappers, visual assessment of supply stock from a distance; and a sterile individual wrapper.
In addition to the aforementioned patents, Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition copyright 1983, is incorporated herein by reference in entirety for the definitions of words and terms used herein.